CIVIS Nominees 2019

CIVIS – Europe’s Media Prize for Integration and cultural diversity will honour programme contributions on radio, film, television and the Internet, which promote peaceful coexistence in the European immigration society. The CIVIS SPECIAL “Football + Integration”, will once again be organized this year together with the DFB - German Football Association, as well as the CIVIS Cinema Prize as an audience prize, will also be presented.

21 programmes have been nominated for the award ceremony at the Federal Foreign Office in Berlin - four prices are already announced. The CIVIS Cinema Prize will be running online from April 24 – May 3, 2019 as a public voting. Everyone can participate and win attractive prizes.

Prize winners - four prizes are known

Kippa / Kippah

14-year-old Oskar is viciously bullied after his classmates learn that he is Jewish. The attacks are becoming increasingly more threatening. His classmates force him to set fire to an Israeli flag. While the headmaster ignores his parents’ pleas, Oskar finds his own ways to deal with the humiliations and stand by his identity. Based on a true story, the short film tells a story about anti-Semitic bullying and violence against a Jewish classmate at a German school. An explosive topic, highly topical – outstanding cinematography and acting. A wide audience is desired.

Zlatan: For Sweden – with the times

Zlatan Ibrahimovic, one of the world’s best footballers, begins with the words: “My mother is a Croatian Catholic, my father is a Muslim from Bosnia. I feel entirely Swedish. I am the new Sweden.” The documentary shows the fantastic journey through life of the star player from Sweden’s poorest suburb Rosengard to historical goals, wins and trophies in the top league of world football. The feeling of always being an outsider with his strange-sounding name has nevertheless left lasting marks on him: a feeling of exclusion and resistance. Unusual, integrative – with a very personal, great interview.

Istvan Mezei is a legend in Hungary. In 1980 he accompanied the Hungarian Olympic football team to Moscow. Shortly afterwards, the football activist founded the country’s first Roma team and organised a Roma youth league with Hungarian football idol Janos Farkas. When excessive violence against Roma occurred in Eastern Europe in the 1990s, he organised football tournaments between the police and Roma. The life story of a football fanatic and his ongoing fight against discrimination. Credible and comprehensible – technically brilliant. Shows the integrative power of football, opens up a world you don’t know.

Scoring Girls

Scoring girls. A web video about an integration project for Yazidi, Muslim and Christian girls between the ages of eight and twenty. Most of them come from refugee families, but some also come from socially disadvantaged backgrounds. They are trained by Tugba Tekkal in Cologne. The Yazidi woman was a professional footballer until 2014. She is convinced that football brings the girls together despite all differences and gives them self-confidence. In football they learn to achieve everything through hard work and belief in themselves. Shows the integrative power of football. Empowerment for young women.

Cartoon series. The unsuccessful amateur footballers at “Borussia Hodenhagen” play against opponents from various pop culture franchises and other topics. In this episode Hodenhagen encounters religions that form a team and play together. The episode satirically exaggerates the excessive idealisation of football, in which players are regarded as equals to God, get divine help through “the hand of God” or represent their own religion together along with the football god. The world religions in the context of football are playfully thought out with clever wordplay. For more ease and tolerance – without losing dignity.

A documentary that deliberately exceeds limits. Paul Nkamani battled his way through the Sahara to the coast of Morocco. This is where Paul and the filmmaker Jakob Preuss meet. Paul soon manages to cross over to Spain in a rubber dinghy. He survives – but half of his fellow travellers die on the two-day odyssey. When Paul reaches Spain and decides to continue to Germany, Jakob has to decide: should he actively help Paul or remain an observing documentary maker? Conflicts between protagonist and filmmaker are openly reflected – disillusioning, unusual, outstanding.

Themar in Thuringia has evolved into a meeting place for the right-wing extremist music scene from Germany and Europe. The NPD, National Democratic Party of Germany, are hosting their fourth right-rock festival. Thomas Jakob does not want to surrender his home town to the right. He and fellow campaigners “Themar gegen Rechts” (Themar against the Right) want to organise a broad protest. They do not allow themselves be intimidated and counter the neo-Nazi concerts with a town festival. But can Themar really get rid of right-wing rock? People in resistance – calm, humorous, unspectacular. An impressive report.

die story: Judenhass in Europa / Anti-Semitism in Europe

The new anti-Semitism in Germany, France and Poland. Jewish people are afraid of attacks and acts of violence on the streets; their children talk about bullying at school. Cemeteries are desecrated, hate slogans are chanted during marches. The report shows people between despair and hope, between giving up and resistance. Anti-Semitism is not an unchangeable phenomenon; it is a social challenge that has to be faced. Taboos are broken and then dwindle away. Compulsory viewing for everyone – moving, brilliant.

Entertaining comedy with a serious background. The young, ambitious and xenophobic politician Theo is in the middle of a groundbreaking campaign for his career in a populist right-wing party. But one day he wakes up in the skin of the asylum-seeking Muslim Beriwan, who cleans his home. In turn, the Kurdish woman is also trapped inside Theo’s body. They can only awaken from this nightmare by joining forces. Will they manage to put aside their mutual prejudices so not to lose everything? Identity and integration: self-deprecating, without false consideration – humorous, fast-paced, strong images, impressive acting.

Nine-year-old Zara lives in a centre for asylum seekers in the Netherlands. She would really like to play football with the boys but there are no mixed teams. Her big brothers are also against it and think it is better if Zara does small tasks for the team instead. When Zara gets magical football boots from an angel that only she can see, she suddenly plays like a professional. But the angel warns her: the shoes will only work for a week until the final of the football tournament. A great series with children from six different asylum seeker centres – surprising, full of wit and humour, outstanding acting.

End of the First World War, 1918: with the fall of the monarchies and the founding of new states, Europe became a laboratory for new ideas, hopes and societal concepts. Democrats, communists and fascists compete for supremacy. The drama series “Krieg der Träume” shows what this means for the people. Elaborately staged and consolidated with documentary film and photographic material, the hopes of people in the interwar period become visible from various national perspectives and parallels with today become clear. Highly topical, cinematically brilliant and masterfully acted, excellently researched.

Rassismus bei der Polizei? / Racism in the police force?

Black musicians are stopped by police in a Viennese park. The people concerned film with their mobile phones and accuse the police of racial profiling: they had only been stopped because of their skin colour, at which point even more police move in. Accusations of racism against the police are raised. The police deny this and speak about planned controls at a main area. A disproportionate use of force? A study shows that people with black skin are more frequently checked in Austria than in all other EU countries. Nobody contributes to de-escalation – highly explosive topic, excellent research, very convincing.

Even in winter, people from African countries try to conquer Alpine passes. Refugees always find a way. No matter how many refugee routes are closed, no matter how great the barriers that European governments have imposed. There are people who live in the mountain villages who help them – and are therefore liable to prosecution. European law prohibits private individuals from helping refugees, even if their lives are in danger. Those who help say that we have a responsibility towards people. They are not traffickers. A perfectly normal village with extraordinary people – excellent report, very politically relevant.

Philipp A. was born and grew up in Germany. A likeable young man – at least that is what the DAK health insurance company thinks. That is why they used a photo of him and his girlfriend for an advertising poster. The reaction to the poster: racists insults encouraged by a chapter of the AfD (Alternative für Deutschland – Alternative for Germany). The hatred ranged from propaganda for “miscegenation” through to “rapist” and “murderer”, “replacing the population with foreigners” and “ethnic replacements”. And all this because Philipp has dark skin. Apparently not a matter of course in Germany. Shocking, powerful – an important, impressive report about the sad reality in Germany.

Accommodation for conspicuous, unaccompanied minors whose asylum request has been rejected. The district in Drasenhofen is fenced with barbed wire and the young people are only allowed to leave for one hour a day accompanied by security forces. Structureless custody under tightened security precautions. The public prosecutor’s department is investigating suspected imprisonment. The asylum district was established by the Asylum Regional Council of Lower Austria led by Gottfried Waldhäusl (FPÖ/ Freiheitliche Partei Österreichs - Austrian Freedom Party) for “notorious troublemakers”. An impressive journalistic performance that makes an impact – critically, factually and clearly.

Escaping from Syria and Christmas – how well does that work together? For Akram it is clear: it’s fine! The 21-year-old escaped Damascus five years ago and came to Wuppertal. Now he is playing Santa Claus for one evening for a group of children. But how does Akram deal with a child suddenly calling him “Kanake” (derogatory term for a foreigner)? The report portrays how Akram experiences the evening. WIR SIND DIE NEUEN (we are new here) is a series of weekly short reports about the everyday life of refugees in Germany. The protagonists also get a chance to speak – with their strengths and weaknesses. Entertaining, humorous – a great way to get to the heart of the integrative challenge.

Demonstrations by outraged neo-Nazis and right-wing populists ready to riot shake Chemnitz in the summer of 2018. The trigger is the death of a German-Cuban man. The mood in Chemnitz is tense. How do Jews view the current events in their city? The regular Nazi demonstrations, counter rallies and nationwide reactions? Today there are 600 Jews living in Chemnitz. In 1989 there were twelve. The leader of the Jewish community sees this rebuilding as being in danger. Strong statements, sustainable perspectives – an outstanding journalistic achievement.

After a prison sentence of more than three years, Germany deports “criminal foreigners” to their home countries. But what if they don’t have a home there anymore? Emrah Gradina, 28, has to build a new life in Serbia. He has spent 22 years of his life in Germany, only speaks broken Serbian and is now completely on his own. The feature makes Emrah the narrator of his own life. It shows attempts at a new beginning but does not leave out his difficult past in Germany. An empathetic audio portrait, impressive, close to the mark; tells a story of which we often only know the beginning.

Mechelen was one of the most problematic cities in Belgium; neglected and unlawful with high numbers of migrants. Mayor Bart Sommers changed the city. His strategy: zero tolerance and multiculturalism. In the meantime, Mechelen has become one of the most attractive and fastest growing cities in Flanders and an example to all of Belgium. There are people from 134 nations living here. Every second child has a foreign background. For many citizens, diversity means prosperity and not danger. Today Mechelen is considered an example of successful integration. Shows the strengths of local politics for integration – a convincing, great radio feature.

The WDR History App is an innovative digital project in augmented reality (AR). The history of National Socialism and the Second World War is retold. Some of the last surviving contemporary witnesses and the events of that time are experienced visually in three dimensions as holography in school lessons. The fate of the children in the Second World War, which up to now has received little attention, forms the prelude. This is important at a time when the belief in Europe as a historical peace project is fading and new nationalism is being debated. A great and vivid digital project for the teaching of the future.

Where does the EU’s isolation lead? While the situation of migrants in the Mediterranean and Europe is extensively reported on, developments on the eastern external border of the Union receive little media attention. What motivates the people who live and work there? What kinds of the people try to get past the border fortifications and who actually defends the borders? “Der letzte Gegner” is one of four multimedia stories along the Eastern European external border in autumn 2018. Highly topical – excellent cross-media editing, impressive dramaturgy.

Is Islam part of Germany? Fiete Aleksander knows the answer. Born a “true” German, he converted to Islam at 18. Fiete is the DAYWALKER. He has all the advantages and no disadvantages. Fiete tries to show the German society a different picture of Islam than the one portrayed by the media. He created the Youtube channel DATTELTÄTER with friends. Once a week, stereotypes are debunked in a humorous way, social bigotry and the German-Muslim self-image are criticized. Humorous play with clichés – questions identities in a self-mocking manner.

Does the community need a ministry for community? And what does “community” mean anyway? Everything within certain limits – friends and family, dachshund and beer garden? It is a place or more of a feeling? Host Tarik Tesfu travels from Bayern to Mecklenburg. His interviews show that community means different things to different people. The help of Horst Seehofer’s ministry is not really needed by anyone when it comes to community. JÄGER & SAMMLER is youthful, curious and offensive – a team that expresses strong opinions on socially relevant topics. Community as one of the definitive topics – brilliantly staged in a humorous, light and clever way.

Satirical approach to the xenophobic demonstrations in Chemnitz in autumn 2018. The video of the online format “Bohemian Browser Ballet” holds up a mirror to all those who wanted to profit from the death of a young man: it emphasises the outraged media, antisocial binge drinkers, right-wing extremists and the Alternative for Germany (AfD) party. It also looks at the district’s anti-fascists and numerous party demonstrators. It gets to the heart of the new zeitgeist. Sardonic humorous criticism of the events – on different levels and with many references to German history.

Intense, emotional and highly topical. The situation of Jewish life in Germany. A single voice, with their very personal experience. What does it mean to be Jewish today – between anti-Semitism, right-wing advances, Holocaust remembrance and demonstrative expressions of solidarity? Many Jews know the feeling of being threatened and insulted, and violent attacks are on the rise. But they still like living in Germany. How a young Jew sees the situation in Germany – very personal, convincing, not accusatory.